Valve mechanism for piano-players.



P. 'WUEST, JR. VALVE MECHANISM FOR PIANO PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED $312.28, 1912,

1,041,219 Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

. Ramp ll/zwsicfr,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP WUEST, JR, OF WOODIBURY, NEW-JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 OSCAR BLASIUS, 0F

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

Application has Fehruary 28, 1912. Serial No. 680,470.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP Wonsr, Jr., of the city of Voodbury, county of Glouces;

ter, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Mechanism for Piano-Players, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to. the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates more particularlv to the construction of the valve seats and the manner of mounting and guiding the valve.

An object or the invention is to provide means whereby the valve may be mounted on a single stemand fixedly held in place after proper adjustment.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means carried by the valve stem and coperating with the valve seat, for guiding valve so that it may be brought into proper engagement with the valve seat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a valve guiding disk which is so\constructed as to allow a free passage of air and also to divide the current of air as it passes through the opening in the valve seat.

These and other objects w-ill in part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter more fully described. 1

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention, Figure I, is a sectional view through the valve box and bellows or pneumatic. Fig. II, is a plan view of the upper face of the valve box. Fig. III, is a side elevation of the entire valve. Fig. IV, is a perspective view of one of the valve seats.

The present invent-ion is an improvement on the valve construction shown and described in my Patent No. 913,867, granted March 2nd, 1909. The general construction and manner of using the valve is fully described in said patent, and will not, therefore, be referred to in detail.

The valve box 1, as herein shown, is provided with a chamber 2, which is connected by a' passage 3, to the-pneumatic 4. This pneumatic 4., is of the usual bellows type,

- and is connected in the well'known way to.

the corresponding key. Said valve box is formed with a second chamber 5, which leads to the usual exl'iaust. An opening be tween the chamber and the chamber 5, is partly closed by a valve seat 6, and an opening between the chamber2, and the atmosphere, is partially closed by a second valve seat 7. The valve box is formed with a third-chamber 8, which communicates'by means of a. passage 9, with a corresponding aperture in the tracker bar and the action of the valve is controlled in the well known manner by means of a perforated sheet.

A diaphragm 10, separates the chamber 8, from the chamber 5, and the movement of this diaphragm when air is admitted through the corresponding perforation in the music sheet, causes a movement of the valve. A. bleed aperture 11, serves to normally maintain equal pressure upon both sides of the diaphragm 10. The .valve con- Metallic washers 16, engage members 12, and 13. l aper washers 17, restagainst the outer faces of the metallic washers and notched disks 18, or star-shaped punchings are threaded on to the valve stem and engage the outer faces of the paper washers. vBy this threading of the valve members, and the notched disks onto a threaded stem, one member becomes in ef- -feet a nut lock for the other members, and by this construction, the various parts of the valve wilt be fixedly held in place onthe threaded stem.

Each of the valve seats 6, and 7, is provided at its outer edge, with a laterally projecting flange 19, which serves to strengthen the valveseat. Each of the valve seats is also-provided with a central opening 20, and around each opening is a laterally projecting flange 21, which ,as herein shown, formed integral. with the valve seat. This flange 21, forms a guide sleeve for the valve. It will be obvious that instead of forming said flange integral with the valve seat, structed, the essential feature being the \I6I1- tral opening with the extended wall formmg a guiding sleeve for the valve.

The notched disks18, adjacent to each of the valve members are sd disposedas tobe located within'these guide sleeves 21, onthe it may, be otherwise con-- valve seats. These notched disks are slightly smaller in diameter than the sleeve, so as to have a free movement therein, and at the same time, to guide the valve in its vertical movements. It will readily be seen that these notched disks will allow the valve.

members the necessary lateral play so as to avoid any binding of the valve in its seat or guiding means, and at the same time to allow the valves to seat properly, even though not accurately m'ountedon the stem.

The notches 22, formed in the disks 18,

' are equally spaced as clearly shown in Fig.

,seats. vprovided. with an adjustable button 23,;

H, and, therefore, these notches will serve not only to allow a free passage of the air, but also to divide the current of air as it passes throughlthe openings in the valve The lower end of the valve stem is which is adapted to cooperate with the diaphragm 10.

In the operation of my device, when air is admitted to the passage 9, the diaphragm is lifted thus lifting the valve stem which carries the valve member 12, into contact with the valve seat 7. The'notched disks operating in the sleeves carried by the valve seats, guide the vertical movement of the valve, and at the same time allow the valve member to properly seat. This movement of the valve which carries the valve member 12, into engagement with the valve seat 7 .the spirit of the invent-ion, as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

The combination of spaced valve seats each of which is provided with a central opening and a laterally projecting flange surrounding said opening and forming a guiding sleeve, a valve stem, valve members threaded on said stem and adapted to cooperate respectively with said valve seats, a spacing member between the valve members and engaging said valve members, disks threaded on said stem and having spaced notches formed in the outer edges thereof, said disks being disposed so as to cooperate respectively with the guiding sleeves on the valve seat for guiding said valve in its movements, and washers interposed between the notched disks and the valve members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this twenty-seventh day of February PHILIP WUEST, JR. Witnesses Pmzs'ron F. RICE,

JAMES H. BELL.

@opies or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

